Batteries typically are connected to their loads using a wire of suitable gauge terminated with a connector that is removably connectable to a battery terminal. Some conventional battery-post connectors provide a split-ring connector made of lead metal, having a tapered cylindrical primary opening, connected at a closed end to a cable wire, and having a steel nut-and-bolt fastener that passes through the open end and draws the two edges of the open end together when tightened, in order to provide a tight connection around the tapered cylindrical post of, for example, a lead-acid twelve-volt battery of a vehicle or watercraft.
Such battery-cable terminations historically have had problems with mechanical fit and deformation, material fatigue and breakage with use, and corrosion due to reactions with the battery electrolyte, road salt and fumes, and/or contact of dissimilar metals. Often, the nut and/or bolt will corrode, making removal and reattachment difficult. Even in cases where the bolt can be loosened, the C-shaped lead connector does not loosen by itself, but must be pried apart at its open end in order to remove it from a battery's post or to reinstall it. The loose fit of the cable-end connector on the post allows the interface between post and connector to oxidize, increasing resistance and making the battery difficult to charge and discharge properly. These problems result in either partial or complete failure of the terminal's primary function, which is to distribute adequate power to the battery-powered systems and loads.
Although there have been improvements made to help reduce the above problems by various means in the industry, the problems mentioned above still exist. Therefore, there still exists a need to make further improvements, especially in applications which are deemed critical as with military vehicles and civilian rescue vehicles.